Supported hardware

Gqrx uses the gr-osmosdr library as input source and supports the SDR hardware listed below. (Italics) means that it the hardware has not been tested by Gqrx developers due to lack of hardware.

Please understand that problems with specific hardware can only be resolved in the gr-osmosdr backend, not in gqrx.

Supported devices:

• Funcube Dongle Pro
• Funcube Dongle Pro+
• (USRP devices from Ettus Research)
• Osmocom rtl-sdr via USB or TCP client
• HackRF One by Great Scott Gadgets
• RFspace SDR-IQ, Cloud-IQ, (SDR-IP) and (NetSDR)
• AirSpy R2 and Mini
• Airspy HF+
• LimeSDR
• PlutoSDR
• (Nuand bladeRF)
• (SDRplay)
• Red Pitaya
• SoapySDR (need to update info, see website)
• I/Q file source

Funcube Dongle Pro

• The original Funcube Dongle Pro receiver.
• Covers 64 to 1700 MHz.
• 16 bit ADC, 96 kHz bandwidth.
• Requires GNU Radio installed with the gr-fcd component.
• Device string documentation.

Funcube Dongle Pro+

• The new Funcube Dongle Pro+ receiver.
• Covers 0.150 to 2000 MHz.
• 16 bit ADC with 192 kHz bandwidth.
• Support for this device is enabled via the third party gr-fcdproplus GNU Radio block, which must be installed after GNU Radio but prior to gr-osmosdr.
• Device string documentation.

Universal Software Radio Peripheral (USRP)

• Universal Software Radio Peripheral by Ettus Research.
• One or two full duplex transceivers (depending on model).
• All models, versions and daughterboards are supported via UHD.
• USRP support is enabled using GNU Radio with the gr-uhd component.
• Device string documentation.

Osmocom rtl-sdr and rtl_tcp

• The RTL2832U-based DVB-T dongles.
• Covers from low-VHF to L-band (depending on tuner front end).
• 8 bit ADC with about 2.4 MHz usable bandwidth.
• Support is provided via librtlsdr that must be installed prior to gr-osmosdr.
• Device string documentation.

Note that the rtl-sdr driver will by default transfer data from the device in large chunks. In gqrx this can have the side effect of reduced time resolution in the waterfall or slow update rate of the pandapter. If you experience this you can try adjusting the buffer size in the device string by adding buflen=xyz, i.e. if you current device string is rtl=0 the new device string becomes rtl=0,buflen=xyz.

On the other hand, you always want to use the largest possible buffers because they often give the best performance (lowest CPU load). Buffer sizes that work for me at various sample rates:

• 250 ksps: buflen=16384
• 1024 ksps: buflen=32768
• 2048 ksps: buflen=65536
• 2400 ksps: buflen=131072

HackRF Jawbreaker

• The HackRF Jawbreaker by Great Scott Gadgets.
• Half duplex transceiver.
• Covers 30 to 6000 MHz (leaked info says it will go down to 10 MHz).
• 8 bit ADC with up to 20 MHz bandwidth.
• Support for HackRF is provided via libhackrf that must be installed prior to gr-osmosdr.
• Device string documentation.

RFspace SDR-IQ, SDR-IP and NetSDR

• Shortwave receivers from RFspace.
• 14 or 16 bit ADC with up to 2 MHz sample rate and 1.6 MHz bandwidth.
• Device string documentation.

AirSpy

• VHF/UHF/SHF receiver with R820T tuner from AirSpy.
• 12 bit ADC with up to 20 Msps.
• Device string documentation.
• Notes
  • You must select the correct sample rate according to device type (Airspy R2 or Mini)
  • Spyserver interface not yet supported
  • Bias-T can be enabled by adding bias=1 to the device string, i.e.

    airspy=0,bias=1

Airspy HF+

• Supported since v2.9
• Support included out-of-the-box in our Ubuntu and other binary packages
• Source builds need airspyhf branch from gr-osmosdr-gqrx fork

LimeSDR

• 0.1 – 3800 MHz transceiver from Lime Micro.
• 12 bit ADC with up to 50 Msps.
• Supported through SoapySDR using device string: soapy=0,driver=lime

PlutoSDR

• Very experimental
• Support included out-of-the-box in our Ubuntu and other binary packages
• Source builds need plutosdr branch from gr-osmosdr-gqrx fork

Nuand bladeRF

• 300 MHz to 3.8 GHz full duplex transceiver.
• 12-bit 40 MSPS ADC, 16 bit DAC.
• Capable of achieving full-duplex 28MHz channels.
• Device string documentation.

SDRplay

• 100 kHz to 2 GHz receiver from SDRplay.
• 12 bit ADC with up to 10 Msps.
• One can use it through the SoapySDR backend using device string soapy=0,driver=sdrplay or using the recent gr-osmosdr updates by Jeff Long (recommended and included in the .tar.xz binaries for Linux)
• Support through SDRplay community.

I/Q file source

• File containing raw gr_complex data as recorded by GNU Radio.
• Device string documentation.
• Need more feedback about status.